Muladi named Undip's best alumni

SEMARANG: Former justice minister Muladi won this year's Best Alumni Award from Diponegoro University (Undip) in Semarang, Central Java, defeating 72 others.

The award, the first to be presented by the university to its alumni, was bestowed by university rector Eko Budihardjo in a ceremony on Saturday night.

"Pak Muladi was elected as this year's winner because he has real commitment to the nation, education and the campus," spokesman for the university Adi Nugroho said.

Muladi, a former Undip rector who was born on May 26, 1943 in the Central Java city of Surakarta, once served as the justice minister under the administrations of former president Soeharto and his successor B.J. Habibie.

"I did not really know that I was selected as the winner until after it was announced," said Muladi, one of directors at the Habibie Center.

Adi said Undip planned to confer similar awards to its best graduates annually in observance of the university's anniversary.

He said that the award winners would be selected by a committee comprising a team of Undip academics and leaders of the university's alumni association.

During the ceremony, Undip also awarded Deputy Central Java Governor Ali Mufiz as its best alumnus for the faculty level. --JP